When Christopher Nolan Faced Rejection From Heath Ledger After Offering Him The Lead Role In Batman Begins, Saying, “I’d Never Take Part In A Super Hero Film”

Heath Ledger became an icon for his portrayal of the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. But did you know Nolan approached Heath for the part of Batman in Batman Begins, which eventually went to Christian Bale? Unfortunately, Ledger passed away before the release of The Dark Knight; otherwise, he might have reprised his role as the Joker.

In an interview, Nolan once opened up about how he wanted Heath for the part of Bruce Wayne but was very politely turned down by him. Christopher made three films in the Batman franchise – Batman Begins, which came out in 2005, followed by Ledger and Bale starrer The Dark Knight in 2008, and the final film, The Dark Knight Rises, in 2012. The movies collectively grossed approximately over $2.4 billion at the worldwide box office.

Meanwhile, Heath Ledger’s Joker is a benchmark for many actors after The Dark Knight. However, things would have been different if Ledger had accepted Christopher Nolan’s initial offer to play Batman in Batman Begins. According to Hindustan Times, while speaking at the Lincoln Film Centre in New York in 2012, Nolan recalled the incident and said, “He was quite gracious about it, but he said, ‘I would never take a part in a superhero film’.”

After the success of Batman Begins and noting what Christopher Nolan had in mind for a comic book movie, Heath Ledger gave him a chance and finally agreed to play the Joker in The Dark Knight.

Christopher Nolan said, “I explained to him what I wanted to do with Batman Begins, and I think maybe he felt I achieved it.” Nolan revealed he had cast Heath Ledger even before the script was written, which gave the late actor a lot of time to explore the character. Nolan recalled, “So he had a very long time to obsess about it, think about what he was going to do, to really figure it out.”

Heath Ledger passed away briefly after completing Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. He won the posthumous Oscar for his exceptional performance.

For more such throwbacks, stay tuned to Koimoi!

Must Read:  Chris Evans’ Last 5 Films At The Worldwide Box Office: All Hits & No Misses, Exploring The Success Story Of Captain America!

Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | Google News